Learners will take and then compare the images taken by a camera - to learn about focal length (and its effects on field of view), resolution, and ultimately how cameras take close-up pictures of far away objects. Finally, they will apply this...(View More) knowledge to the images of comet Tempel 1 taken by two different spacecraft with three different cameras, in this case Deep Impact and those expected/obtained from Stardust-NExT. This lesson could easily be adapted for use with other NASA missions.(View Less)

This is a lesson about statistics in science as it applies to the measurement of dust in space. Learners will be introduced to the concepts of error analysis, including standard deviation. They will apply the knowledge of averages (means), standard...(View More) deviation from the mean, and error analysis to their own distribution of heights and then to the Student Dust Counter (SDC) data to determine the issues associated with taking data including error and noise.(View Less)

This is a lesson about the role of computers in space exploration. Learners will investigate various ways to improve mission design to maximize the scientific return. In the first activity, the students examine how the use of flowcharts can help...(View More) make computer programs error-free and efficient, in this way making the spacecraft more reliable. In the second activity, the students investigate how data can be compressed for transmission over limited bandwidth. By the end of the lesson, the students come to realize that the wealth of data gathered by spacecraft is useless if it cannot be transmitted safely and efficiently to the scientists on the Earth.(View Less)

In this activity, learners replicate the scientific processes of observing, forming an explanation, revising and communicating about a model of a comet. Learners construct a model of features of a comet using an assortment of common craft supplies....(View More) This activity relates to several NASA comet missions such as Deep Impact, Stardust, Stardust-NExT, and EPOXI and can be used to emulate a process that scientists and engineers follow on all missions.(View Less)

This is a lesson about the shape of objects in space. Learners will observe the surface of rotating potatoes to help them understand how astronomers use variations in reflective brightness to determine the shape of asteroids.

This is an activity about the Hubble Deep Field image, an observation of one small area of sky that contained no previously-detected objects. The long time exposure of this image allows us to detect some of the most distant objects seen in our...(View More) Universe. Learners will view an image of the Hubble Deep Field and identify how many distant galaxies are visible as well as the types of galaxies they might be. Observations will be taken a step further to infer predominant age of a galaxy and determine if there are any trends in age (color) versus galaxy size or type and, ultimately, if the distant Universe appears relatively uniform. This activity is Astronomy Activity 4 in a larger resource, titled "Space Update."(View Less)

This is an activity about the electromagnetic spectrum and how the different wavelengths of light are used to capture the most complete picture of objects in space. Learners will view images of our galaxy in multiple wavelengths to compare and...(View More) analyze what is seen. This activity requires a computer with Internet access, and is Astronomy Activity 3 in a larger resource entitled Space Update.(View Less)

In this learning activity, students create a 3D model of part of their local landscape, then make a series of observations from different directions. Using the bird's eye view, they translate the 3D model into a 2D map with a scale and key, and...(View More) explore concepts related to remote sensing, including scale, resolution, and perspective. This is one of three Odyssey of the Eyes activities, part of the Land Cover Biology chapter of the GLOBE Teacher's Guide. Resource includes a student worksheet.(View Less)